Month: September 2023

In The Know – Talladega

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 1

●  Location:  Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

●  Layout:  2.66-mile oval

●  Laps/Miles:  188 laps/500 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps

●  TV/Radio:  NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Kevin Harvick has made 45 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, collecting eight top-fives and a series-best 19 top-10s among active drivers. Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski lead the series with 10 top-fives apiece at Talladega while Joey Logano has the second-most top-fives with nine. The all-time leader at Talladega in every statistical category is Dale Earnhardt. The Intimidator won 10 races in 44 career starts and tallied 23 top-fives and 27 top-10s with 1,377 laps led.

Aric Almirola:

 In 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Almirola has one win, nine top-10 finishes, five top-fives, and has led 107 laps. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the 2.66-mile oval, Almirola visited victory lane in May 2017. Statistically speaking, Talladega is the track where he’s shown the most consistency. With his third-place finish in the June 2020 race there, Almirola tied the record of eight consecutive Talladega top-10s set by Dale Earnhardt Jr., from April 2001 to October 2004. Despite seeing his streak come to an abrupt end thanks to a multicar accident on lap 57 of the October 2020 race, followed by his 15th-place finish there a year ago this weekend, Almirola’s average finish in his last 10 Talladega outings is 14.4.

Chase Briscoe:

Life will imitate art at the 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway oval where Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will field two Ford Mustangs in Wonder Bread and Old Spice liveries. The championship-winning NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and Haas Automation founder Gene Haas will have Ryan Preece behind the wheel of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang while Chase Briscoe drives the No. 14 Old Spice Ford Mustang.

Ryan Preece:

Preece heads to Talladega on Sunday for the eighth time of his Cup Series career. His first start at the Alabama track was in 2019 for JTG-Daugherty Racing, when he started 30th and finished third. The finish marked his first and only top-five at the track. He has two top 10s, 14 laps led and has completed 99.4 percent of laps attempted there. In his previous Talladega outing this past April, Preece started 16th in his No. 41 Ford Mustang but was involved in an accident that took him out of the race on lap 189. Preece has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Talladega – in 2016. He ran for JD Motorsports and started 26th and finished 15th. Preece also has one NASCAR Truck Series appearance at the track that came in 2022 for David Gilliland Racing. He started 10th and finished fourth.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Camo Ford Mustang:

Do you need to be lucky to be good at Talladega?

“With the way that superspeedway racing has evolved, especially with this particular car, you have to be aggressive because track position is so important. If you’re going to win the race, you need to maintain your track position all day. You can make up ground, but it’s definitely more difficult than it has been. All those pieces you can probably control, but the luck part is definitely a part of the equation. You have to be able to get lucky, miss some of the wrecks, and be in the right place at the right time to not get gathered up in the mess, because there are going to be some wrecks, there are going to be some situations, you’re going to have to be aggressive, you’re going to have to push, you’re going to have to shove, you’re going to have to do all of those things. You’re going to have to block in order to have a chance to keep yourself up front. But in the end, you’re going to have to have some luck.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

How does the intensity ramp up when you head to Talladega?

“Talladega is always intense, but it’s even more intense at the end of the season and in the playoffs. Everyone knows they have a shot to win at Talladega if they can be there at the end. It levels the playing field, so you have all the guys racing for a playoff spot and all the guys who want to get a win in the 2023 season that aren’t in the playoffs. The stakes are high and a lot of aggressive racing happens. I love Talladega and have always seemed to find my way up front. The 10 team always brings the speed to superspeedway races and they give me a great-handling car to make it happen. A lot of guys have Talladega circled on the calendar and a lot of guys don’t love it in the playoffs. It could either make or break your playoff run. I’m excited to just get out there knowing we’ll have a shot to run up front and bring home the bacon like we did in 2018.” 

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Old Spice Ford Mustang:

This is a really special moment for fans of Talladega Nights and NASCAR. How does it feel to be involved in bringing such iconic movie schemes to life?

“Talladega Nights is one of my all-time favorite movies. If you’re a NASCAR driver or fan and you can’t watch it and appreciate the how funny it is, then you’re missing out. I think the movie has really been embraced by fans and it probably brought some news eyes to our sport. I’m excited to be able to embrace the story and have some fun living out my Talladega Nights moment with Ryan.”

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang:

What’s your excitement level for this weekend at Talladega, having Wonder Bread on your car and representing such an iconic brand?

“This weekend is going to be so awesome. To have Wonder Bread on my car at Talladega is just such a cool opportunity. Not only is the brand one that is very well known in the NASCAR industry, it’s also well known among the fan base, too. The Talladega Nights movie is one that most people have seen and laughed at, and these really cool paint schemes will bring back memories. Getting to have my teammate Chase Briscoe in the Old Spice car just makes it all come together. Talladega is a historic track, and the movie is one that’s so popular and everyone embraces. There’s no better track to work with your teammates at than these superspeedways. We’re going to have so much fun this weekend and I hope we get the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang to victory lane.”

Talladega Scheme Unveil:

Two iconic brands are joining the SHR fleet for a fun weekend in Talladega! Ryan Preece + Wonder Bread and Chase Briscoe + Old Spice will be racing into the weekend ready to go fast on the banks of Talladega Superspeedway.

Talladega Commerical Reads:

Who doesn’t love a good commercial? Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe ran through some ad reads for their favorite products to prepare for their big race at Talladega

 

Wonder Bread and Old Spice Ready to Roll with Stewart-Haas Racing at Talladega Superspeedway

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Sept. 25, 2023) – Wonder Bread and Old Spice, two iconic brands made even more iconic when each was prominently featured in the 2006 sports comedy Talladega Nights, are back at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend for the YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race.

Life will imitate art at the 2.66-mile oval where Stewart-Haas Racing will field two Ford Mustangs in Wonder Bread and Old Spice liveries. The championship-winning NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and Haas Automation founder Gene Haas will have Ryan Preece behind the wheel of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang while Chase Briscoe drives the No. 14 Old Spice Ford Mustang.

“This is an entertaining promotion that allows us to work with two innovative brands in Wonder Bread and Old Spice where we can stand out together amid a very busy fall sports schedule,” said Brian McKinley, Chief Revenue Officer, Stewart-Haas Racing. “Talladega Nights is a cult classic and Wonder Bread and Old Spice were savvy enough to be on board with the movie from the very beginning. For our sport, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, and it’s given Stewart-Haas Racing a great platform to have some fun and engage with our fans.”

The promotion will be amplified across all of Stewart-Haas Racing’s social media platforms – Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn – and augmented with merchandise that will be available onsite at Talladega and online at StewartHaasRacing.com.

Both Wonder Bread and Old Spice will activate inside the track at the Talladega Garage Experience with showcars emulating the actual racecars that will be driven by Preece and Briscoe in the YellaWood 500. Wonder Bread is already giving fans a sneak peek of the promotion with 2,000 in-store displays throughout Alabama, Georgia and Florida that feature Preece’s No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang.

“The Wonder team couldn’t be more excited to team up with Stewart-Haas Racing and Old Spice to give Talladega Nights fans a race to remember by recreating the beloved cars from the cult classic movie,” said John Steed, Senior Vice President of Legacy Brands at Flowers Foods. “We know our Wonder Bread fans love the movie and we can’t wait to share in their delight this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.”

“Old Spice is ready to bring 24/7 freshness to the track this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway with Stewart-Haas Racing and Wonder Bread,” said Kate DiCarlo, Old Spice Senior Director of Communications at Procter & Gamble. “After all, if you’re not first, you’re last, so we’re excited to have Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece behind the wheels of the famed Old Spice and Wonder Bread cars. This is such a nostalgic moment for us and we’re thrilled to connect fans with more ridiculously fun experiences.”

For Preece and Briscoe, the promotion has allowed them to act out some of the movie’s many memorable moments.

“Talladega Nights is one movie that most people have seen and laughed with, and these really cool paint schemes will bring back those memories,” Preece said. “Getting to have my teammate, Chase Briscoe, in the Old Spice car makes it all come together. The movie remains relevant after all these years, and there’s no better track than Talladega to work with your teammates. We’re going to have a lot of fun this weekend and I hope we get the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang in victory lane.”

“Talladega Nights is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I’m really glad that Old Spice was on board to come back to Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Briscoe, whose No. 14 car was once sponsored by Old Spice when it was driven by Stewart. “We couldn’t do this Talladega Nights deal without them, and as a Tony Stewart fan who has gone on to drive his car, it’s really special to be the one to bring it back for all the fans.”

The YellaWood 500 begins at 1 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. EDT Sunday with live coverage on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Wonder Bread:

Founded in 1921 in Indianapolis, Wonder Bread is named for the feeling that founder Elmer Cline experienced when watching a hot air balloon race. A century later, the brand is credited with the popularization of sliced bread and remains an iconic brand at barbeques, on store shelves, at picnics and in lunchboxes across the nation. Learn more at www.WonderBread.com.

About Old Spice:

Procter & Gamble’s Old Spice is the quintessential grooming brand. With more than 80 years as an American icon, Old Spice is the authority on grooming experience and has leveraged this heritage to become the No.1 selling anti-perspirant and deodorant brand for guys in the United States. Old Spice offers a complete product portfolio for today’s evolving needs, including anti-perspirants, deodorants, body washes, body sprays, shampoos and hair stylers. Check Old Spice out online at www.OldSpice.com and on social at TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and nearly 100 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at StewartHaasRacing.com and on social at Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Post Race Report – Texas

Date:  Sept. 24, 2023

Event:  Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 30 of 36)

Series:  NASCAR Cup Series

Location:  Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)

Format:  267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)

Race Winner:  William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports

Stage 1 Winner:  Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing

Stage 2 Winner:  Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports

SHR Race Finish:            

●  Kevin Harvick (Started 22nd, Finished 6th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)

●  Chase Briscoe (Started 31st, Finished 10th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)

●  Aric Almirola (Started 21st, Finished 18th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)

●  Ryan Preece (Started 25th, Finished 23rd / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)

SHR Points:

●  Kevin Harvick (13th with 2,102 points)

●  Aric Almirola (22nd with 529 points)

●  Ryan Preece (25th with 498 points)

●  Chase Briscoe (30th with 413 points)

SHR Notes:        

●  Harvick earned his 13th top-10 of the season and his 25th top-10 in 39 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas.

●  Harvick’s 39 starts at Texas are the most among all NASCAR Cup Series drivers, past and present, in Texas’ 26-year history.

●  Harvick’s 25 top-10s at Texas are the most among all NASCAR Cup Series drivers, past and present. Next best on this list is Kurt Busch with 23 top-10s and Jimmie Johnson with 22 top-10s. The closest active driver to Harvick is Kyle Busch with 18 top-10s.

●  Briscoe earned his seventh top-10 of the season.

●  This was Briscoe’s second top-10 at Texas and his third straight top-15 in three career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval.

●  Briscoe finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points.

●  This was Almirola’s fifth straight result of 18th or better. He finished third Aug. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 14th Sept. 3 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, 17th Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City and 18th last week at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Race Notes:       

●  William Byron won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 to score his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his first at Texas. His margin over second-place Ross Chastain was 1.863 seconds.

●  There were 11 caution periods for a total of 55 laps.

●  Twenty-five of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

●  This was the first race in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs. Byron secured his spot in the Round of 8 via his win while Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch are currently below the top-eight cutline with two races remaining before the Round of 8 begins Oct. 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Sound Bites:

“I just struggled a little on the restarts getting the car pointed quick enough to really make ground, and didn’t do a very good job of putting the car in the right spots. We lost a couple on the restarts and probably should’ve finished third or fourth, but it was still a great day.” – Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang

“From where we started, 31st, to being on the front row with six to go, I thought our team did a really good job of making our car better all weekend. I guess we got damage on the nose there. I pushed Bubba (Wallace) to the lead the restart before and hit him super hard to get him out there and it split the nose. There at the end I was so tight, just hanging on. I would’ve loved to have another shot at it without the damage because I feel like it would’ve been really close. We’ve been struggling all year long on mile-and-a-halves, so to be as fast as we were today and run with the Hendrick cars and Gibbs cars says a lot. I’m proud of our effort at Stewart-Haas. We just still have to get better and go to Talladega and see if we can win there.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, Oct. 1 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The fifth race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

Post Race Report – Bristol

Date:  Sept. 16, 2023

Event:  Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)

Series:  NASCAR Cup Series

Location:  Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile, concrete oval)

Format:  500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)

Race Winner:  Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing

Stage 1 Winner:  Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing

Stage 2 Winner:  Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing

SHR Race Finish:            

●  Ryan Preece (Started 17th, Finished 12th / Running, completed 499 of 500 laps)

●  Aric Almirola (Started 26th, Finished 18th / Running, completed 499 of 500 laps)

●  Chase Briscoe (Started 14th, Finished 27th / Running, completed 495 of 500 laps)

●  Kevin Harvick (Started 21st, Finished 29th / Running, completed 495 of 500 laps)

SHR Points:

●  Kevin Harvick (14th with 2,071 points, four points below top-12 cutoff)

●  Aric Almirola (22nd with 510 points)

●  Ryan Preece (24th with 484 points)

●  Chase Briscoe (30th with 383 points)

Playoff Standings to Begin Round of 12:

1.    William Byron (3,036 points)

2.    Martin Truex Jr. (3,036 points)

3.    Denny Hamlin (3,032 points) -4

4.    Kyle Larson (3,023 points) -13

5.    Chris Buescher (3,021 points) -15

6.    Kyle Busch (3,019 points) -17

7.    Christopher Bell (3,016 points) -20

8.    Tyler Reddick (3,014 points) -22

9.    Ross Chastain (3,011 points) -25

10.  Brad Keselowski (3,011 points) -25

11.  Ryan Blaney (3,008 points) -28

12.  Bubba Wallace (3,000 points) -36

Failed to Advance to Round of 12:

13.  Joey Logano (2,071 points)

14.  Kevin Harvick (2,071 points)

15.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2,068 points)

16.  Michael McDowell (2,059 points)

SHR Notes:        

●  This was Preece’s fifth straight top-20 at Bristol. His average finish at the track is 15th in six career starts.

●  Preece finished ninth in Stage 2 to earn two bonus points.

●  This was Almirola’s fourth straight top-20. He finished third Aug. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 14th Sept. 3 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and 17th last Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Race Notes:       

●  Denny Hamlin won the Bass Pro Shops Night to score his 51st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his third at Bristol. His margin over second-place Kyle Larson was 2.437 seconds.

●  There were six caution periods for a total of 53 laps.

●  Only 10 of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

Sound Bites:

“We just need speed. Our long run isn’t terrible, but we struggled to fire off to where we could be aggressive and then once you get your track position, you can hold it. Gotta find the grip and the speed, and that’ll change our days.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Ford Mustang

“We’ve been like that all year. We’ve been hit or miss. Tonight we just missed by a mile. I’ve had some good days and bad days (at Bristol), but that’s definitely the worst one I’ve had with fenders on it. I didn’t really have many expectations (for the playoffs) with as up and down as the year has been. It is what it is. It’s probably about what we deserve.” – Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on Sunday, Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The fourth race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

In The Know – Bristol

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 16

●  Location:  Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

●  Layout:  .533-mile, concrete oval

●  Laps/Miles:  500 laps/266.5 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps

●  TV/Radio:  USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

 Harvick is a three-time winner at Bristol, and his last two victories at the high-banked half-mile have come in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Harvick’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol was in April 2005. It was his ninth start at the concrete-clad track, and Harvick beat Elliott Sadler by an impressive 4.652 seconds for his fifth career Cup Series victory. It would be another 23 races before Harvick scored his second Bristol win. In the 2016 Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Harvick beat Ricky Stenhouse Jr., by 1.933 seconds to take his 33rd career Cup Series victory. Harvick only had to wait four years to collect his third Bristol Cup win. He won the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Night Race in dominating fashion by leading four times for a race-high 226 laps, including the final 32 tours where Harvick beat Kyle Busch by .310 of a second to take his 58th career Cup Series victory, his third at Bristol and his 35th since joining SHR in 2014.

Aric Almirola:

In 25 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol, Almirola has two top-five finishes, four top-10s, one pole, and has led 39 laps. Almirola earned his pole at Bristol last September. He led 36 laps until a steering issue relegated him to a 28th-place finish.

Chase Briscoe:

Last year at Bristol, Briscoe qualified second to start on the front row alongside his SHR teammate Aric Almirola. He entered the race, the third and final event of the opening Round of 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as a playoff contender but sitting below the top-12 cutline. He overcame the points deficit with finishes of fourth and third in the opening two stages, respectively. And after several other playoff contenders saw their nights end early, the No. 14 team elected to push for a strong finish rather than a win, ultimately advancing to the Round of 12 with a 14th-place result. Briscoe would go on to advance to the Round of 8 and nearly made his way into the Championship 4 after leading laps in the season’s penultimate race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Ryan Preece:

Saturday evening’s race will mark Preece’s sixth Cup Series start at the track. He has a best finish of ninth in the 2020 race after starting 22nd for JTG-Daugherty Racing. This weekend will also be Preece’s first with SHR at Bristol. In three Xfinity Series starts at Bristol, Preece has one win, one top five finish and two top-15s. His win came in 2018 for Joe Gibbs Racing after he started seventh and led 39 laps along the way. Preece, who favors short tracks due to his grassroots background in the Whelen Modified Tour, is looking forward to racing on the concrete at Bristol this weekend. He started eighth and finished 24th in April’s Food City Dirt Race.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

 

Kevin Harvick Driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang:

With this being your final season, do you view the playoffs as more work or is it actually fun?

“It’s always work, and I’m fortunate to have this ability to kind of separate the two, because when you plug yourself into that car and turn the rest of it off, it’s just work. That’s my job, that’s what I do, that’s what we do together as a team. This year is a little bit different because of all the things that are happening around the last season that you can enjoy, but I’ve never really had a problem turning it on or off.”

Aric Almirola Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield/IHOP Ford Mustang:

You won the pole last year and led the first 36 laps. What are your projections for this weekend?

“We always come to Bristol with the expectation to run well. Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) and the guys brought an awesome car last year. We weren’t in the playoffs then, either, and had likely the fastest car in the field. We took off in the opening laps until a steering issue ruined the day. Another non-playoff driver went on to win that race I believe, too, so I think the sky is the limit this weekend at Bristol again. We know we can bring fast cars so I don’t see why we can’t put ourselves in position for another win.”

Chase Briscoe Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang:

Bristol is one of the races you have been looking forward to. What are your expectations for the No. 14 team, and how are you going to meet those with that added intensity with this being a cutoff race?

“Bristol is a great chance for us to get back on the right side of things. We’ve been strong on short tracks this year and we know that we had a really good car at Bristol last year. This is one of those times where not being in the playoffs might work to our advantage. Those guys are going to be doing everything they can to make it to the next round at the end of the night, to where we can just focus on staying out of the mess and being there with a shot at a win in the end.”

Ryan Preece Driver of the No. 41 Operating Engineers Ford Mustang:

Is Bristol Motor Speedway a track that you have circled on your calendar with your background on short tracks?

“I’m really looking forward to getting to Bristol this weekend. I’ve won at Bristol in the Xfinity Series and a Modified. It’s a track on the circuit that we expect to be strong at. We were strong earlier this season at Bristol and that was on the dirt, which I didn’t have much experience on at all. I’m a short-track guy, so Bristol is one I always have circled on my calendar. We’ve been really good at short tracks this season and I think we’re going to have a really good car. I think Saturday’s race will be an opportunity for our team to have a really good day and execute so that we can keep that momentum going in the last handful of races.”

In The Know – Kansas

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 28 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 10

●  Location:  Kansas Speedway in Kansas City

●  Layout:  1.5-mile oval

●  Laps/Miles:  267 laps/400.5 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps

●  TV/Radio:  USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Harvick is tied for the second-most wins at Kansas with Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, all of whom have three victories apiece. Denny Hamlin leads with the most victories at Kansas, as his win in the series’ previous race at the 1.5-mile oval in May gave him four triumphs to break what had been a five-way tie. Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 marks the 36th Cup Series race at Kansas.

Aric Almirola:

In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Almirola has seven top-10 finishes and has led 69 laps. He finished 13th at Kansas earlier this year.

Chase Briscoe:

Prior to Briscoe’s Cup Series debut, he had only competed on pavement in 133 races across the ARCA Menards Series, the former K&N West Series, the NASCAR Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Briscoe jumped straight from dirt cars to ARCA and, just last weekend at Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway, he competed in his second pavement Late Model race. Briscoe drove his Mahindra Tractors-sponsored Chad Bryant Racing entry to a second-place finish.

Ryan Preece:

Sunday’s race at the 1.5-mile Kansas oval will mark Preece’s eighth career Cup Series start at the track. He has a best finish of 12th after starting 28th in the October 2019 race with JTG-Daugherty Racing. In this year’s first Kansas event in May, Preece and the No. 41 team had a tough weekend, qualifying 28th and finishing 27th. Preece has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Kansas (2016 and 2018) and one in the NASCAR Truck Series, when he started seventh and finished third in September 2022.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang:

What will make this year’s playoffs a success for you?

“My goal was to be competitive, and we’ve been fortunate to do that, for the most part. There were a couple of weeks where we weren’t very competitive, but it seems that’s kind of the norm with this particular car. You just want to go as far as you can and do everything that you can to maximize each and every week, and that’s what we’re good it.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield/Whataburger Ford Mustang:

Do you feel like you made a statement as a team after your solid run at Darlington? 

“Absolutely. I know we finished 14th, but that was with damage to the nose and splitter we couldn’t fix. All of our cars showed speed. Kevin (Harvick) had one of the fastest cars up there in clean air, too, and Chase (Briscoe) ran around the top-10, too. Our organization hit on something and I think you’re going to see more of that for the rest of the season.” 

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang:

We’ve seen a lot of speed out of the No. 14 team the last few weeks before something gets in the way of a finish that reflects that. Do you feel encouraged by the progress that’s been made?

“Yeah, we’re definitely seeing improvement. I wish we had the results to reflect that, but we can look back and see that we are making progress and things are coming together. We just have to figure out how to close it out. We’ve had some weird things happen, like the lugnut at Watkins Glen, and some cautions that haven’t gone our way, but overall, it’s definitely encouraging to see we’re headed in the right direction toward the end of the season.”

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang:

What do you see as the biggest challenge at Kansas Speedway?

“Typically, Kansas is a track where you fight being loose and each corner can be so different. It’s going to be important to find a good balance between being too loose and too free. We’ve fought that battle before and me and my crew chief, Chad Johnston, know what to expect. We’ve been working really hard every week to put focus into certain things that we can control. And like I said, track position, it’s going to be the biggest thing.”

Post Race Report – Darlington

Date:  Sept. 3, 2023

Event:  Cook Out Southern 500 (Round 27 of 36)

Series:  NASCAR Cup Series

Location:  Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)

Format:  367 laps, broken into three stages (115 laps/115 laps/137 laps)

Race Winner:  Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports

Stage 1 Winner:  Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing

Stage 2 Winner:  Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing

SHR Race Finish:            

●  Aric Almirola (Started 10th, Finished 14th / Running, completed 367 of 367 laps)

●  Chase Briscoe (Started 12th, Finished 15th / Running, completed 367 of 367 laps)

●  Kevin Harvick (Started 7th, Finished 19th / Running, completed 367 of 367 laps)

●  Ryan Preece (Started 34th, Finished 28th / Running, completed 364 of 367 laps)

SHR Points:

●  Kevin Harvick (14th with 2,029 points, two points below top-12 cutoff)

●  Aric Almirola (23rd with 471 points)

●  Ryan Preece (26th with 438 points)

●  Chase Briscoe (30th with 355 points)

Playoff Standings (with two races to go before Round of 12):

1.    Kyle Larson (2,074 points) 1 win

2.    William Byron (2,075 points) +45 points

3.    Tyler Reddick (2,060 points) +30 points

4.    Chris Buescher (2,057 points) +27 points

5.    Denny Hamlin (2,057 points) +27 points

6.    Martin Truex Jr. (2,055 points) +25 points

7.    Kyle Busch (2,050 points) +20 points

8.    Brad Keselowski (2,048 points) +18 points

9.    Ryan Blaney (2,046 points) +16 points

10.  Ross Chastain (2,043 points) +13 points

11.  Joey Logano (2,033 points) +3 points

12.  Christopher Bell (2,031 points) +1 point

13.  Bubba Wallace (2,030 points) -1 point

14.  Kevin Harvick (2,029 points) -2 points

15.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2,027 points) -4 points

16.  Michael McDowell (2,012 points) -19 points

SHR Notes:        

●  Almirola finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn one bonus point.

●  This was Almirola’s eighth top-15 this season and his second straight. He finished third last week at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

●  This was Briscoe’s 10th top-15 this season.

●  Harvick finished fourth in Stage 1 to earn seven bonus points.

●  Harvick led one lap to increase his laps-led total at Darlington to 819.

●  Harvick has now led 11,609 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 16,024 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career and is one of just 11 drivers who have surpassed 16,000 laps led.

●  This was Harvick’s milestone 775th consecutive NASCAR Cup Series start. He ranks third behind only Jeff Gordon (797 consecutive starts) and Ricky Rudd (788 consecutive starts).

Race Notes:       

●  Kyle Larson won the Cook Out Southern 500 to score his 22nd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his first at Darlington. His margin over second-place Tyler Reddick was .447 of a second.

●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 51 laps.

●  Only 22 of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

Sound Bites:

“All things considered, that turned out to be a decent day for our race team. We had a top-10 car all day and the guys executed on pit road. We got damage to the nose and splitter on that restart in stage two when everyone stacked up, which wasn’t repairable and completely changed the balance of our car. It was like a totally different car after that and I was just way too tight to be as competitive as we were. We fought all day and stayed out of trouble and found our way from 28th back up into the top-10. I’m proud of this team and these guys for working so hard. It’s a testament to what this team can do for the rest of the year.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang

“The caution came out and the light was on, and I didn’t think I could turn right. We’ll just go and put the gas pedal down and do the exact same thing we’ve done for 23 years.” – Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1/Take 5 Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City The second race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.